Bracket for supporting a receptacle



March 9, 1965 E. COHEN BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING A RECEPTACLE Filed May 21, 1962 INVENTOR. CO H E N ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,172,534 BRACKET FER SUPPQRG A RECEPTACLE Eli Cohen, 5 Knollwood Drive, Paramus, NJ. Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,174- 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-4145) This invention relates to receptacles, including tissue dispensers and receptacles for used tissues and other waste material, specially adapted for use in automobiles and, more particularly, to a novel bracket for holding such a receptacle on a support, such as an automobile instrument panel.

Cardboard cartons containing sheets of tissue paper, interfolded or otherwise assembled, adapted to be withdrawn one at a time or otherwise through an opening therein, are now on the market and in common use. Such tissues are of use in various places, including automobiles, not only as substitutes for handkerchiefs, but also for wiping oil" the windshield, steering wheel and lamp lenses.

it is a purpose of the present invention to provide novel means for mounting such a tissue carton or the like, the contents of which may vary, characterized by its ready accessibility to the driver and other occupants of the car,

its simplicity, low cost and the fact that it may be resilient- 1y held in place on the forwardly-extending flange of the dash or instrument panel of a car or another selected place. The bracket of my invention is also adapted for mounting an empty carton or other container which may serve for the reception of used tissues or other waste material, to avoid cluttering the floor of the car or the roadway on which the car is driven.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensively manufactured supporting device or bracket which may be employed for holding a carton of disposable paper tissues, or which may be employed for holding an empty receptacle for trash. If two of my brackets are employed, one may serve for supporting a carton of tissues and the other a receptacle for used tissues.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vehicle panel mounted receptacle which may be easily attached, posable paper tissues or may be empty for the reception of such tissues when used.

A further object of my invention is to provide a vehicle panel mounted receptable which may be easily attached, emptied and remounted as desired.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. t will be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, or one from above while at the left and front, of a bracket supporting a dispensing carton of disposable paper tissues and embodying my invention.

FEGURE 2 is a side elevational view of such a bracket, with the near arm thereof broken away, and an associated carton supported from the lower flange of the instrument panel of an automobile, which flange extends forwardly of the automobile but rearwardly of the supported carton, that is, away from a prospective user, the spring binder clip used for connection of the bracket to the flange being secured to the front or inner face of the narrowed or attachable portion of the bracket.

FIGURE 3 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 2, but showing the bracket also with the near arm broken away, but with the spring binder clip thereof attached to the opposite or outer face of its connectable portion and the carton omitted.

3,172,584 Patented Mar. 9, 1$5

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, corresponding to FIGURE 1 but showing a modified form of bracket separated from the carton or receptacle to 'be supported thereby, and with portions of the spring binder clip broken away.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of a spring binder clip which may be employed to secure a bracket embodying my invention to a motor vehicle instrument panel or other support, that is, the bracket secured thereby may be made from flat steel, or other sheet metal stock, as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, or from wire, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first considering the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a bracket generally designated 11, here employed for the support of a carton or other receptacle 12. The carton 12 may contain disposable paper tissues 13 which are removable one by one or otherwise from an aperture 14 in the top panel or wall 22 of said carton. As an alternative, the carton 12 may be empty and serve for the reception of used tissues or other waste material.

The carton l2 contemplated may be made of cardboard and comprise a bottom panel 15 having a front panel 16 and a rear panel 17, both upstanding therefrom. These panels may have side flaps 13 and 39. The bottom panel 15 may have flaps or panels 21 at each side, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The front panel 15 may initially have a top panel 22 with a flap or panel 23 at each side which overlap and are secured to the side flaps 21 at each side of the bottom panel 15. To use, the aperture 14 may be formed by removing a correspondingly-sized portion of the top panel 22.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the side panels 23 are not secured to the side flaps 1S and 19 so that there is a space 25 at each side of the carton which is defined at the top by the remaining portions of the top panel 22, at it outside by a panel 23, and at its inside by a pair of the side flaps 18 and 119.

The bracket 11 embodying my invention, comprises arms 26 and 27 which, when in place as there illustrated in FIGURES i and 2, underlie the top wall 22 of the carton and are received in the spaces 25 with the top wall 22 and between the panels 23 on the outside and the fiaps 18 and 19 on the inside. The free ends of these arms terminate in upstanding or hooked end portions 28 which. when the bracket is in place, prevent undesired removal of the carton 12.

The other ends of the arms 26 and 27 are continued angularly toward one another, as portions 29 and 31 which lie back of the carton. These portions then are turned angularly and continued rearwardly, as indicated at 32 and 33. The rear end portions thereof are united at a back portion 34. The portions 32, 33, and 34 form a relatively narrow part extending away from the back of the carton, when associated therewith, and this is what is employed for the support thereof.

In the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, I secure the base 35 of a spring binder clip, generally designated 36, to the inner or forward face of the portion 34 at the back. This portion 34 is desirably inclined upwardly and rearwardly or away from the arms as and 27. This ecuring may be done by means of a rivet 37 through said base and the portion 3 or other suitable means including soldering and brazing. The spring binder clip 36 which I disclose may be one of the type designated Parrot binder clip, made in U.S.A., or one of the type designated I-D-L binder clip made in England. It consists of a sheet of spring steel 3% or the like, from the base 35 of which projects side portions 39 and 41 diagonally away from said base and normally meeting at their free edges. Said free edges are desirably curved away from one another, as indicated at 42 and 43 to form the generally hollow cylindrical end portions. These end portions rotatably receiving the end portions 44 of the operating members 45 which project away from one another, may grip said shelf above bracket parts 32 and 33.

These members 45 are desirably formed of wire with finger-engageable parts 46 from which project arms 47 and 48, desirably curved as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The arms 47 and 48 terminate at their free ends in the angularly displaced portions 44 which are secured to the curved edges of the steel sheet spring 38. Pushing said members 45 toward one another, as by finger operation, causes separation of the curved edge portions, so that the spring binder clip may then he slipped over a supporting shelf such as the lower flange 49 of the instrument panel '56 of a car, or other such support.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURE 3, there is shown a bracket generally designated 11a and which may be employed for the support of a carton or other receptacle 12 as in the preceding embodiment. The only difference between the bracket 11a and the bracket 11 of said preceding embodiment is that the clip 36a, which may be identical with the clip 35 of said preceding embodiment, is secured to the rear or outer surface of the back portion 34a of the bracket 11a, instead of to the front or inner surface of said back portion. The advantage of such a connection is that the clip 36a may then be secured to some form of support other than a flange, such as designated 49 in FIGURE 2, or any thing on which the said portions 39a and 41a of the clip may grip, as when it is desired to suspend, a carton or the like, rather than hold it in a nearly horizontal position.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURE 4, there is shown a bracket generally designated 11!) which may be employed for the support of a carton or other receptacle, such as designated 12 in the first embodiment. The bracket 11b comprises arms 26b and 27b which may be placed as in FIGURES 1 and 2, to underlie the top wall of a carton and be received in spaces between flaps on the outside and flaps on the inside, as in the first embodiment. The free ends of these arms terminate in upstanding or hooked end portions 28]) which, when the bracket is in place, prevent undesired removal of the carton or receptacle like the portions 28 of the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment; however, the arms, instead of being formed of flat metal stock are formed of wire having sufiicient strength and rigidity, said wire being desirably doubled, as illustrated, and curved to form the upstanding or hooked portions 28b. As in the preceding embodiment, the portions or" wire forming the arms 26b and 27b are turned angularly and continued rearwardly, as indicated at 2% and 31b, to lie back of an associated carton. These portions are then turned angularly and continued rearwardly or away from the associated carton as indicated at 32b and 33b. The rear end portions thereof are united at a back portion 34b. The portions 32b, 33b and 34b form a relatively narrow part extending away from the back of the associated carton and may be empolyed for the support thereof.

In the present embodiment the wire sections defining the upper and lower edges of the arms 26!) and 27b and the parts extending therefrom are desirably braced at intervals by strut members 55, 56, 51 and 52. Other strut members may be employed at other places, if deemed necessary, depending on the strength of the wire and the length of the sections thereof. These strut members may be formed of pieces of wire corresponding in gage with the Wire forming the arms 26b and 27b and have their opposite ends secured to the engaged portions i of the wire, forming the bracket 11b, as by welding, brazing, soldering or other suitable means.

The bracket 11b has a spring binder clip 3612, only a fragmentary portion of which is illustrated, secured to the portions 34b thereof by suitable means, including a washer 53 and suitable screw fastener 54. As alternatives, welding, brazing or soldering may be employed.

Although the direction in which the side portions of the sheet spring part of the clip 36:) extend is not here illustrated, said side portions may be extended either forwardly or toward the associated carton, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, or rearwardly, that is, away from the associated carton, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, for the respective purposes described in connection with the first two embodiments. However, the clip 36b may be identical with that illustrated in FIGURE 5 and described in connection therewith,

Having now described my invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no diiriculty inmaking changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be maide without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container for use on a supporting structure comprising, in combination, a bracket for holding a card board carton to contain material as desired, said carton comprising a bottom panel, front and rear panels upstanding from said bottom panel, overlapping side flaps on said front and rear panels, a top panel, side panels extending downward from said top panel over the side flaps, said side flaps being free from the side panels so that there is a space at each side of the carton defined at the top by the top panel, at the outside by a downwardly-extending side panel and its inside by side flaps, said bracket having metal arms each lying beneath the top panel and between a downwardly-extending side panel and side flaps on its side of said carton, said arms terminating in end portions upstanding above the top panel and at their other ends extending angularly toward one another and lying back of said carton, said extensions continuing angularly in a direction opposite to that of said arms to the rear of the carton to form a relatively narrow portion, said extensions uniting at the end of said relatively narrow portion along a part inclined upwardly and away from the bracket arms, and means secured to said inclined part for removably attaching said bracket to said supporting structure.

2. A container for use on a supporting structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said carton also comprises side panels extending upward from said bottom panel and overlapping with respect to said side panels extending downward from said top panel, and wherein the means for removably attaching said bracket to said supporting structure comprises a spring binder clip having a base secured to said inclined part so as to place the clip gripping edges beyond the plane of said arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,934 5/32 Blackburn 24-66 X 2,079,592 5/37 Battin 24899 X 2,188,047 1/40 Jones .2 24899 2,830,748 4/58 Faltin 224-4246 2,903,215 9/59 Metcalf 24899 2,965,344 12/60 Baker 224-4245 X 3,019,954 2/62 Faltin 22443.46

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER FOR USE ON A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BRACKET FOR HOLDING A CARDBOARD CARTON TO CONTAIN MATERIAL AS DESIRED, SAID CARTON COMPRISING A BOTTOM PANEL, FRONT AND REAR PANELS UPSTANDING FROM SAID BOTTOM PANEL, OVERLAPPING SIDE FLAPS ON SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS, A TOP PANEL, SIDE PANELS EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID TOP PANEL OVER THE SIDE FLAPS, SAID SIDE FLAPS BEING FREE FROM THE SIDE PANELS SO THAT THERE IS A SPACE AT EACH SIDE OF THE CARTON DEFINED AT THE TOP BY THE TOP PANEL, AT THE OUTSIDE BY A DOWNWARDLY-EXTENDING SIDE PANEL AND ITS INSIDE BY SIDE FLAPS, SAID BRACKET HAVING METAL ARMS EACH LYING BENEATH THE TOP PANEL AND BETWEEN A DOWNWARDLY-EXTENDING SIDE PANEL AND SIDE FLAPS ON ITS SIDE OF SAID CARTON, SAID ARMS TERMINATING IN END PORTIONS UPSTANDING ABOVE THE TOP PANEL AND AT THEIR OTHER ENDS EXTENDING ANGULARLY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND LYING BACK OF SAID CARTON, SAID EXTENSIONS CONTINUING ANGULARLY IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF SAID ARMS TO THE REAR OF THE CARTON TO FORM A RELATIVELY NARROW PORTION, SAID EXTENSIONS UNITING AT THE END OF SAID RELATIVELY NARROW PORTION ALONG A PART INCLINED UPWARDLY AND AWAY FROM THE BRACKET ARMS, AND MEANS SECURED TO SAID INCLINED PART FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING SAID BRACKET TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. 